Attorneys Phil DiLucente and Jim Ecker said 41-year-old Mary Schneir waived her right to a preliminary hearing on Monday, but they noted that does not constitute any admission of wrongdoing. Bethel Park police allege Schneir admitted to the alleged theft and fraud after being read her rights.

DiLucente suggested confusion, not criminal intent. "Once we do our accounting, if there's any money that had been loaned and needs to be repaid, it's going to be repaid," he said.

Police charge that during 2011 and 2012, Schneir withdrew more than $10,000 in cash from the Bethel Park Junior Cheerleaders' account at Citizens Bank, and more than $9,000 more at ATMs using the group's debit card. Investigators also allege Schneir made personal purchases with the card, including $183 for diet pills, $153 for a luggage set and $100 for items her daughter's dance recital.

Her lawyer said she's willing to pay it back.

"Well, restitution is a criminal term, and since charges have been made, it would be restitution. In the civil world, we would call that paying back a short-term loan," said DiLucente.

Police said Schneir told them she's a "shopaholic," living well beyond her means, and that she felt bad for what she'd done and wanted to apologize to the whole organization.

"There's always another side to the story. There's probably three sides to the story. The whole purpose, though, is we were hoping it wouldn't come to the criminal division. Unfortunately it did, and we're going to try to take it out of the criminal division as fast as possible," said DiLucente.

Schneir remains free on bond as she awaits trial.

"Mary's been nothing but cooperative throughout this whole ordeal. She wants to get on with her life. This is not a situation that, contrary to belief, is something out of greed or anything like that. The allegations are that she used it for diet pills, and Mary's continued to cooperate," said DiLucente.

The defense attorneys said "there's a tremendous amount of responsibility and stress involved" in the position Schneir held. "Her duties were non-stop with helping. She spent a tremendous amount of time doing her duties as a cheerleading coach, and I'll tell you, she was a valuable resource to the community," DiLucente said.

"Certainly, if it were ever to be established that there were monies missing purposefully, a lot of times there's confusion. When there are small organizations, there's confusion on who's supposed to handle the money, where the money's supposed to go," said DiLucente. "If we do our own accounting and the police do their own accounting, and if any money's owed, it will be repaid."

Bethel Park Junior Cheer is a parent funded organization. At no point in time have we ever been in the practice of issuing loans to any person or entity. The BPJC organization is under the understanding that this is still being pursued as a criminal charge and will move forward as such. We will continue to seek restitution for the organization and the community. The many transgressions made by Mary Schneir that lead to criminal charges came to light once the current board began planning the 2013 season. Upon speaking with our local recreation board, we were directed to contact the Bethel Park police and present our findings.

We would like to thank the parents in our organization, as they have been fantastic in supporting the current board. We plan to continue to keep them informed and updated. We all look forward to an amicable resolution that will bring closure to an unfortunate situation for all parties involved.

3 $19-thousand dollars -- missing! And tonight, the former president of a local cheerleading group is accused of stealing it ... And spending it .. On herself and her family! Action News reporter Bob Mayo is in Bethel Park! 3 41-YEAR OLD MARY SCHNEIR - ACCOMPANIED BY HER LAWYERS PHIL DILUCENTE AND JIM ECKER -- WAIVED HER RIGHT TO A PRELIMINARY HEARING.HER ATTORNEYS SAY THAT'S NOT ANY 3 ADMISSION OF GUILT.THEY SUGGEST CONFUSION ON THE PART OF A HARDWORKING, VALUABLE, FORMER PRESIDENT OF BETHEL PARK JUNIOR CHEERLEADERS. POLICE CHARGE THAT 3 DURING 2011 AND 2012 THAN 10-THOUSAND DOLLARS CASH FROM CHEERLEADERS' ACCOUNT, AND OVER NINE-THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE AT ATMs USING ITS DEBIT CARD. 3 POLILCE ALSO ALLEGE PURCHASES WITH THE CARD : $183 FOR DIET PILLS, $153 DOLLARS - FOR A LUGGAGE SET $100 FOR ITEMS HER DAUGHTER'S DANCE RECITAL.HER LAWYER SAYS SHE'S WILLING TO PAY BACK.POLICE SAY SCHNEIR 3 TOLD THEM SHE'S A SHOPAHOLIC LIVING WELL BEYOND HER MEANS; THAT SHE FELT BAD FOR WHAT SHE'D DONE AND WANTED TO APOLOGIZE TO THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION. 3